The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-27
CERRO DE LAS CAMPANAs.

vlousiy written the article 'biDIe at the invita-
ton of the editor.
CERRO DE LAS CAMPANAS.
The Inquest Held Upon Maximtlian's Body
by the Sons of Monroe-Some New History.
Correspondence Louis Globe Democrat.
1.-THE four terrible words" as they are called
in Mexican political history, are Cerro de las
Campanas! CHANGING down the columns of .
Mexican newspaper. the foreigner encounters
these words, punctuated with exclamation
point and bristing in italics. They are used to
warn and to rally. When the information spread
recently that the old elements of opposition to
Mexican Repubiicanism conspiring 10
bring Don Carlos. the pretender, to this country
and m AXE of him first social lion and then
leader in a comp d'etat. there appeared in the
Liberal papers almost daily, Cerro de las
Campanas! Any act or any argument that
looks to dictatorship or to the assumption of I'M
constitutional powers, is met with Cerro de las
Campanas! And the four words never fail to
arouse the spirit of liberty They are of fearful
import to the Mexican who has any political SEN
timent whatever They recall the morning of
the 10th of June, 1867 just twenty years ago
They mean that then Mexican independence and
republicanism came to stay. Nothing so
arouses this people the four words. Trans
lated the clause is only Hill of the Campanas,"
but the hill of the Campanas was where Max
imilian, the would-be emperor, and Mlramon
and Mejia the Mexican generals of the imperial
armies. were shot for treason.
Whatever the world may say of the harshness
of the penalty. there can be no doubt that the
frmness of JuareZ in refusing to commute the
sentence of the court-martial was for Mexico
the greatest act of his life, devoted. as it was,
to his countrv's Independence. Foreign powers,
tempted by the country s wealth and encour-
aged by large element of monarchy lovers
here, had never been able to refrain from med
ding in the affairs of Mexico up to that time.
With Macmillan there died all foreign contem-
plation of North American empire. and the ma
tive imperialists have never dared to more than
secretly hope.
A curious incident connected with this execu-
ton of the Emperor and his generals was told
the writer by one who participated in the scene
described. The Emperor having bee shot, the
greatest possible respect was shown to his re-
mains. The body brought from the place
of execution in plain wooden box and pre-
pared for shipment to Austria No public dis
play was made, and even Liberal generals found
it impossible to gain admittance to look upon
the body. But to the four American citizens,
all who were then residents of Queretaro. were
sent requests to come to the palace and look
upon the remains of the dead Emperor The
popularity about these notes was that they
were addressed to each of the four Americans
"Son of Monroe" the expression being used
to designate them as the representatives of the
Monroe doctrine. The wording of the request
was: ''You, of Monroe. are hereby
requested to come to the palace and view the
body of the late Macmillan, that you may be
able to say that he is surely dead"
And the four American citizens one of whom,
Emmett Scanlon, narrated the story, gathered
about the body, and signed a paper as Sons of
Monroe" testifying that they had seen Maxi
milian's corpse. Such was the remarkable pc
Iirical inquest.
There is another interesting and. it is said,
hitherto unpublished scrap of history in connec-
ton with these closing events of the Inflated
dynasty of Macmillan The empire began to 60
to pieces from the time that Secretary Seward
upon him in the name of the United States to
withdraw French troops from Mexican soil. The
United States had come out of it's civil war and
was in position to enforce the Monroe doctrine
The French ruler complied. At that time the
forces of JaureZ were in the extreme north of
Mexico. They had been driven from point to
United States, they started southwark to regain
the lost ground. just here comes in the bit of
history. 1t is given told by ex-oficer Of
the United States army.
When the war between the States close there
were left at various points great quantities of
army clothing ready for use by the troops. This
ment, not being entirely disposed of for years.
One of the depots Ell Paso, JUST
the river from Paso del Norte, which was the
headquarters for a large portion of the Juarez
troops. The ex-oficer of the United States army
does not know all the details of the transaction,
but says that one day there came an order from
Washington directing the condemnation and sale
of the clothing and equipments which had been
mysteriously accommodating in the E. Paso store
house This order was issued about the same
time that Secretary Seward sent his note
of warning to Napoleon. The forms
Of condemnation and sale were gone
throu gn with says the officer. The clothing
tributed to the troops of Juarez. And little
later the Mexican army, uniformed in the blue
of the United States started for the City of
Mexico sweeping everything before them. The
clothing was very acceptable to the poorly equip
ped Liberals. but the material comfort it af-
forded. says the officer, was nothing to the NOR
al effect produced upon the Juarez forces and
the enemy. When the Mexicans, Republicans
and Imperialists, looked upon that uniform they
had no doubts that the United States was back
ing the republic, and fully expected an American
army to follow Perhaps the clothing of the
Mexicans in United States uniforms only
trick of JuareZ and some of his border advisers,
but it looks, from all the circumstances given,
if there was here an only partially written chap
ter in Mr. Stewards shrewdness a diplomatic.
Cerro de las Campanas is a barren hillside be-
You'd the outskirts of the city. Here and there
the cactus has pushed it's way up between the
rocks but there is very little vegetation. The
ground lizards run about, much at home and I'M
see the place of execution. A foundation OF
heavy stones has been put down, with three col
umns upon it. to show just where the three men
stood-Maximilian on the left, Mejia on the
right and Miramon in the center-facing and
overlooking the city. On the top of each col
umn is carved the name for which it stands.
There were gilt letters in the carving but other
"sons of Monroe" who came this way after the
monuments were erected pried out the gilt let
ters and carried them off to the States tro-
phies. To the inquiry if it was certain that Amer
leans had perpetrated this vandalism the answer
was: Eyes; l ashamed TO say it is true.
saw tourists with the letters in their hands and
they were showing them, with much Satisfaction;
to their less daring companions"
Grumbling 'sReform."
Boston Transcript.
Soma neonle are never satisfied A Ruenos